Ceramic scintillator body and scintillation device

Abstract

A scintillation device includes a ceramic scintillator body that includes a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprising gadolinium. The polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure. A method of producing a ceramic scintillator body includes preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor, and an activator (Ac) precursor. The method also includes obtaining a precipitate from the solution and calcining the precipitate to produce a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material including the rare earth element, hafnium, and the activator, and having a pyrochlore titrating the precursor solution into the precipitant solution structure.

What is claimed is:   
     
       1. A scintillation device comprising a ceramic scintillator body that includes a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material having a chemical composition represented by a general formula of A 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ac, wherein Ac is an activator including cerium or neodymium, and A includes gadolinium, wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure. 
     
     
       2. A ceramic scintillating powder comprising a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material having a chemical composition represented by a general formula of A 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ac, wherein Ac is an activator including cerium or neodymium, and A includes gadolinium, wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material is characterized by a pyrochlore crystallographic structure. 
     
     
       3. The ceramic scintillating powder of  claim 2 , wherein the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material comprises a plurality of substantially spherical particles and wherein at least ninety percent of the particles are characterized by a particle size of from approximately 50 nm to approximately 250 nm. 
     
     
       4. The ceramic scintillating powder of  claim 3 , wherein at least ninety percent of the particles are characterized by a particle size of from approximately 66 nm to approximately 220 nm. 
     
     
       5. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein A represents gadolinium. 
     
     
       6. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein A 2  includes gadolinium and another rare earth element. 
     
     
       7. The scintillation device of  claim 6 , wherein the other rare earth element is characterized by an atomic radius greater than or equal to 180 pm. 
     
     
       8. The scintillation device of  claim 7 , wherein the other rare earth element is characterized by an atomic radius greater than or equal to 195 pm. 
     
     
       9. The ceramic scintillating powder of  claim 2 , wherein A includes gadolinium and another rare earth element. 
     
     
       10. The ceramic scintillating powder of  claim 2 , wherein A represents gadolinium. 
     
     
       11. The ceramic scintillating powder of  claim 2 , wherein the chemical composition is represented by a formula of Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ce. 
     
     
       12. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises less than ten percent (10%) of the polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material based on molar percentage. 
     
     
       13. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises cerium. 
     
     
       14. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the activator comprises neodymium. 
     
     
       15. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical composition is represented by a formula of Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ce. 
     
     
       16. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic scintillator body is characterized by a density of at least 99.9% of theoretical density. 
     
     
       17. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic scintillator body is characterized by a grain size of from approximately 1 μm to approximately 100 μm. 
     
     
       18. The scintillation device of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical composition is represented by Gd 2 Hf 2 O 7 Nd. 
     
     
       19. A method of producing a ceramic scintillator body, the method comprising:
 preparing a precursor solution including a rare earth element precursor, a hafnium precursor, and an activator (Ac) precursor; 
 obtaining a precipitate from the solution; and 
 calcining the precipitate to produce a polycrystalline ceramic scintillating material having a chemical composition represented by a general formula of A 2 Hf 2 O 7 :Ac and a pyrochlore crystallographic structure, wherein Ac is an activator including Ce or Nd, and A includes gadolinium. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 preparing a precipitant solution; and 
 titrating the precursor solution into the precipitant solution, or titrating the precipitant solution into the precursor solution, to obtain the precipitate.